Hi Tanya, hope you’re ok and not going too stir crazy in hospital.
Soo good luck for tomorrow will be thinking of you.
Pheebs hope you’re ok today
How were pancakes Cat, yummy i bet, maple syrup or lemon and sugar, oh god now I want some.
Ostrich sounds like you’ve got a packed couple of days coming up, have fun and hope you enjoy Cabots and enjoy spending. Theres a cake shop there where you can go in and have coffee and cake or but to take away which will blow your socks off.
Hi Lorna - hope you ok - what are you studying at uni?
I’m off to the hospital tonight for a get together with other bc girlies organised by our bcn’s. It’s the second get together last one they talked about diet and exercise which was quite good, they have nibbles and wine and its a chance for us to talk to each other about our experiances. This time they’ve got someone in showing how to make xmas decorations and we’re decorating the hospital christmas tree. Hopefully will be fun.
Caz, sounds like a great evening you have planned. I wish my bcn nurses would do something like that for us lot in East Northamptonshire, but they don’t do a lot for us in hours so no reason for out of hours. Have a fabulous time. I believe the pancakes went down well, I don’t eat them because they have eggs and dairy. I did a savoury mince filling, told my son it takes a big man to eat a stuffed pancake so now they’re called ‘mancakes’. They had sugar and lemon for pud. Haven’t seen food disappear off a plate so fast in a long time!
I have one on Saturday… have only seen one workmate since baldness… am starting to panic about what to wear… everything I’ve bought has ended up back at the shop! am staying over night in the hotel… which has a pool … so am thinking I may have a swim… but need a swimming cap!!!
Yeh Caz have fun tonight… My BCN does nothing… apart from offer me tissues (which I didn’t need) day I was diagnosed (15/07/08) O and she popped in on me pre op… O almost forgot she did give me a free heart shaped cushion (which I love and still take to bed with me) but I guess because I’m at a different hospital now I just don’t see her.
Caz Studying Occupational Therapy…
The Mancakes sound fab Cat… I could eat for England these days!
Pheebster hope your energy levels come back
Enjoy your “good week” those who are on the up just before the next Poison!
Hi Ladies, welcome Ostrich and hiya Tanya (waves manically),
Goodness, I leave you all for just over a day and there are 30 posts for me to read!
I had a lovely anniversay dindins with DH last night, half a bottle of champers went down a treat, I could get used to that!
On the subject of us generally feeling like sh*t after kimo 3 and how to get through the remaining doses…I went to see the counsellor at the Haven yesterday to talk about how I was feeling and the nightmare-like thoughts I’ve been having about cannulas etc. and the fact I needed real motivation to not jack it all in. She offered good advice which I’ll pass on to you:-
Talk to the kimo nurses about how much you hate it, see if there’s anything they can do to make it less unpleasant for you. I will do this when I go for FEC4 on Tuesday and see what happens…
Acknowledge to yourself that you’ve suffered trauma from surgery and all the poking, prodding and intervention and be kind to yourself.
Everyone has a certain sized ‘bucket’ of stress/trauma they can cope with. Try to recognise when your ‘bucket’ is full and let it out. Talk to friends/family (that’s where we all come in on here), cry, scream, rant etc but get it out in the air. This is like emptying the bucket so you can cope when more stress comes along.
Try to find some activity which allows you to empty your mind, whether it’s listening to music, mediatating, yoga etc, try to learn some means of switching the mind off.
Eat healthily and rest often - obvious I know, but it all comes into the general looking after yourself topic.
So many new posts here!! Hope you are all doing well and keep chin up
Cat- such a lovely poem - you friend s lovely and i particularly like ’ more naked than nake child… ’ well the fact that i leave my hair for observation purpose- there still some hang on there by far but i am pratically bold. My body hair still there though - but i am not hairy so not too bothered.
Regarding period- got one after FEC1- very heavy and i lasted for 9 days! But since I am on Zolaldex- I have not got any since… only hot flushes- so officailly on my manupause. My friend said it is a rehearsal for the real one later!! Bless them !!
Bella- thanks for the good advices- i found no 3 is particularly useful for me. 4 - i am making chrismas card and some friends said they wanted to sell them for me !! hhaha
Ostrich - belated welcome!
Lorna- I felt the same about my FEC - it seems that each time it takes a big longer to go back to normal for me too. But emotionally I feel much better on FEC3 - as i guess i now know I have to walk slowly and doing things slowly - i guess you do adapt yourself at some level… not sure how FEC4 is going to be - next Tuesday it is but made some progress to presaude the WCB to be given with my district nurse so no need to go back to Kimo section !! The smell there make me yuke!!
Also my BCN does not very caring too… she said she would but i could never get hold of her…
And other girls big or small i hope you enjoy your good week- i find online shopping is a great thing now save me hassle to find with the crowd- however i do miss the feelling of going wround shops, doing nothing… well… i am just a woman!!
I have been crying all day about the prospect of the Hickman line and have decided I can’t do I can’t lie there whilst someome inserts a tube down my jugular vein and into a vein next to my heart. And they can’t use my ruined veins - so it looks like no more chemo for me.
Oh Irina, what a dilemma, but I have to say that personally I would make the same decision as you. I told my Onc from the outset that I wouldn’t have a line and due to my crap veins and difficulty with the cannula, the minute they can no longer get one in I’m walking too.
Oh my days…so much has happened since this morning. Irina…have you asked about a GA to insert the Hickman? It seems so drastic for you to have to stop treatment but I understand exactly how you are feeling. The thought of a foreign body being inserted so closely to the heart is really disturbing. Has anyone suggested a portacath?
Cat - pancakes sound lovely…making my mouth water…
Tanya - hows it going in your cell girlfriend?
Ostrich - Busybee…good for you!
Soo - hope all went well today.
Have I forgotten anyone?
My energy seems to be coming back now (day 7). Got another prick today (wbc shot) and managed to take 4 Legs out for a good ramble…and was rewarded with a squirrel which she loyally brought back and dropped at my feet (bless!!!).
Mum and Dad popped round this afternoon and bought flowers and a nice bottle of white and my friend/neighbour just brought me round a giant poinsetta, so all round a much better day than the last few.
I’ve not slept today so am looking forward to going to bed after Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and having a good nights sleep.
Tomorrow I’ve promised 4 Legs another squirrel hunt then a bit of shopping locally with Aaliyah after school…
Dont think anyone is kimoing tomorrow are they? Whoever mentioned the smell of the kimo lounge…I can totally agree. The smell of those wheat bags makes me gag…I can smell it just thinking about it. VILE!
Nite nite lovelies…hope you all get some decent sleep tonight
OMG so many posts and most full of exciting social plans. For everyone who is off out tonight enjoy to the hilt. I will be thinking of you You will probably be home and slept by the time you get this message the keyboard is so rubbish. For those of you at home eating delish suppers, enjoy, sore mouth or not.
I feel I have so little to contribute at the moment. Brain is rotting! Internet not the only slow thing here - no acyclovir from 01.30-17.15!! as waiting for it to come from pharmacy. Absolutely outrageous. Will have it for 24 hours then hope to go on orals and home Sat sometime. Worst thing is to expect chemo to be delayed but it wont be confirmed until Tues when I see onc. Thanks to everyone for messages of support and encouragement. Hope we do manage a get together some time later.
Saw your gorgeous photos of Rushton Hall on Flickr Cat - I am envious of your perspective and view of the world.
Do you enjoy your studies Lorna. I am meant to be studying too but cant get my head together for it at the moment. Takes all my energy dealing with side effects and children!
Great timely advice from the haven Bella. Thanks.
Good luck tomorrow Soo. I will be thinking of you. Your e-mail made me chuckle no end. Thanks.
Irina - thinking of you. Do call me if you want to talk about it (((o)))
Hi Ostrich, Cazz, Avonlea and Pheebster. thinking of you all. Imagining the lovely squirrel gift Pheebster from 4 legged Pheebster! Apologies if I have unintentionally missed someone.
One thing is certain - everything is moving slowy here. Expect to be awake tilll gone midnight when drugs due!
Hi there, how’s everyone doing today? Hope you’re all coping with the various stages of the lovely kimo rollercoaster.
Been a busy day for me, am feeling wiped out from it. I’ve been baking all afternoon getting cakes and things done for my son’s third Birthday party tomorrow. The cake is yummy, chocolate with chocolate buttercream in the middle, but all vegan-friendly so I can have some of it. I’ve iced it with a pale grey icing because I’m going to put Roary the Racing Car on it, up until last week it was my son’s favourite (the fickle little so-and-so now hates Roary and loves Thomas the Tank Engine, go figure the fickle ways of toddlers). I’m sure it’ll be appreciated when it has candles lit tomorrow. Also got loads of cupcakes and other yummy things on the go. James helped!!! I bought a pot of readymade gingerbread man dough so the boys could do it together, and they had lots of fun. Unfortunately James doesn’t do a whole lot of cooking, so two thirds of the gingerbread men were so incinerated that they’ve gone in the bin, hope there isn’t a cruelty to gingerbread men society out there.
I’m going to have a short nap then get on with the house organising and present wrapping. I feel that the place has to look perfect tomorrow because all the mommies will be judging me on the state of my house.
Cat that really made me smile… took me back to the days when I baked cakes for my boys (now 15 and 12) took mind right off the horrid chemo! I’ve made Train cakes ( carriages filled with sweets and matchstick train track etc… Bear, Tellytubby… O and lots more.) they’re now at the age where Chocolate cake will do :o) and god forbid that you embarrass them and sing! Have a great day… and sod the moomies who have nothing better to do than clean… but I know what you mean… I’m house proud too! Hope Littleun has a fab day… sending lots of fun wishes!
Tanya… hope you got the IV drugs! I bet you’re knackered having no sleep in hosssssey! Hate the place myself… apart from the one I used to work at! Studying going OK… they wanted me to defer the year! but no way… have to make the most of my good weeks! Hope you’re home soon x
Sending best wishes to all… Avonlea, Irina (totally understand!), Bella, Pheebster, Caz and Ostrich and Lizbou… anyone else sorry if I missed you…
Evening everyone
First of all I am very very tired. The travelling (3.5 hrs each way) has really knackered me.
I got the results - invasive ductal carcenoma. Exactly the same result as my very first biopsy so I feel I haven,t actually moved forwards in 18 months. I know that realistically that,s not true and that I,ll feel differently after a night sleep.
The good news (and which I was dreading) is that they are not going to perform more surgery. My onc is going to change my chemo programme for something more agressive. He will continue with the Herceptin and he is convinced that the treatment IS working but needs a bit more oomph.
I will go back in 2 weeks and we will discuss and start the new regime.
So in the meantime I,m going to push it all to the back of my mind and concentrate on building up stock of the jams and marmalades and the soups as the orders are beginning to filter through. My Guardian Angel is loaning me a chest freezer so that I can store lots and lots of soups to sell.
Irina I hope you are feeling a bit better today, a tough decision.
Pheebster, also I hope your energy levels are back up.
Cat, I don,t know where you get all your energy from! Happy Birthday to Nathanial
Tanya fingers crossed for tomorrow.
Avonlea good luck with the studies, hard enough at the best of times…
To everyone - have a good weekend whatever you are doing.
Soo xx
p.s Consider yourselves lucky to actually have a bcn. No such thing here. Just you and your Onc!
p.p.s Sorry if I come across as a Moaning Minnie. Promise to be back on form tomorrow! And I,ll tell you my funny story…
Soo - you are absolutely not a moaning minnie. You have a great deal of information to process on top of the travelling and are already planning lots of positive distraction. Thinking of you. Take care, Tanya (((0)))
Soo - you are absolutely not a moaning minnie. You have a great deal of information to process on top of the travelling and are already planning lots of positive distraction. Thinking of you. Take care, Tanya (((0)))
Don’t have to apologise for being a moaning minnie, not that you are, thats what we’re here for, each other. Can’t imagine having to do allthat driving just to get to hospital. Results sound not too bad hopefully onc can sort something out that won’t be too much of a trial for you. Hi Tanya, how you feeling? On the up i hope. I’m feeling a bit tiddly - he he. Bought some bubbly from Asda the other day that was on special offer and thought I better try it just to see if it was worth buying any more, and it was nicer than I thought. Hope I don’t regret it in morning tho. :0) oh well.
Cat - hope Nathaniel has great birthday, don’t you worry about those other mums you’re worth all them put together!!! It’s my daughters birthday Sunday, she’s 10!!! can hardly believe it.